VICTORIAN SEMI
After creating an open-plan layout without extending, Jess and Stuart went to town with pattern clashes and vibrant colour
IDEA TO STEAL
Use wipe-clean vinyl to cover the front of an island unit
Moving up the property ladder can become an impossible leap if you live in a popular area,’ says Jess. ‘Our threebedroom Edwardian semi in Levenshulme, near Stockport, sold quickly following sealed bids when prices were soaring.
Levenshulme is an amazing, vibrant community but our house was on a busy junction and we wanted a period property somewhere a little bit quieter. We decided to look at Heaton Norris, a mile down the road, and found a four-bedroom Victorian house.
Picking a project
While our last house had been beautifully restored by the previous owner, this house had been an unloved rental for 20 years. It was actually more appealing as I didn’t feel bad about ripping things out! It had woodchip wallpaper, Artex ceilings and the cheapest laminate flooring, but we could see that it could be something really special and we were especially excited about the potential of the cellar.
Having sold our previous property for £40,000 over the asking price, we had money spare for the renovations. Half of the walls were stripped back to brick as there were damp issues and we also had to tank and damp-proof the cellar, which we now use as a laundry room and is a handy space for extra storage.
Big changes
The ground floor layout was the biggest change though. We really wanted light to flow from front to back through the house, so we knocked down two walls to open up the living room, dining room and kitchen. It’s completely transformed the way we live and having bifold doors between the living and dining rooms means we can still separate the rooms when we need to.
IDEA TO STEAL
Keep a picture rail white to stand out agains
